11 of Our Favorite Resources to Help You Get Stronger, Healthier and More Powerful this Year!
by Corey Beasley
If you want to become a strong, explosive athlete, you have to get around strong people, learn from them, try new things and get out of your comfort zone.
There are lots of ways to do this...
Ideally, you would be able to train with different people. Training with people, in person, is the best way to learn. You talk, try stuff, discuss, pick their brain, get feedback and more. There are tons of obvious benefits of this style of learning. Unfortunately, flying around the country, moving to different camps, and training full time is not always an option.
As an alternative, here are some of my favorite resources, workshops and other events that might be more in your wheelhouse.
Lets start with a couple of our favorite books.
1. Ultimate MMA Conditioning - Joel Jamieson hit a home run with this book! Its very technical, packed full of killer workout ideas, and explains what to do and why. Killer information for someone struggling to understand what style of training they need to do to improve. Definitely a 'must read' for anyone wanting to learn more about building a massive gas tank, increasing performance and never gassing out.
2. The Fighter's Mind: Inside the Mental Game
- I stumbled across this book at the airport and it instantly became one of my favorites. Sam Sheridan packed his bags and traveled around the globe, training, interviewing and learning about the fighter's lifestyle. How they think, what they do, obstacles they overcome and more. If you ever wanted to get a real look behind the scenes and learn from several of the best coaches ever...buy this book.
3. Into the Cage: The Rise of UFC Nation - Uncle Creepy shared this one with us. In Into the Cage, UFC insider Nick “the Tooth” Gullo gives us an unprecedented tour through the world of ultimate fighting. Here you will find the history of mixed martial arts; an in-depth appreciation of mixed martial arts styles; a behind-the-scenes look at The Ultimate Fighter; and a glimpse into life with a fight team and what it takes to face an opponent in the Octagon. Through 196 remarkable photographs and never-before-told anecdotes, Nick Gullo gives UFC fans unparalleled access to the training, lives, and careers of some of MMA’s most celebrated fighters, including Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Nick and Nate Diaz, Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, and Chad Weidman; and also the people and personalities, from Joe Rogan to Arianny Celeste, who make the sport great.
4. Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance - Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier, more fulfilling life.
Workouts, DVDs and Manuals
5. Animal Flow Workout - Animal Flow is the new primal workout combining animalistic movements with elements of Parkour, break dancing, and gymnastics in a freestyle flow of fluid movement that is intense but fun! This workout is based around animal movements, which are just like they sound – movements and forms that mimic or resemble different animals, or that are just inspired by the rhythm or nuance of an animal.
6. Accelerated Muscular Development - This is the manual that lays out the strategy for quickly adding lean muscle and developing strength. It pulls together AMD Power Core and AMD Essential Recovery into one all encompassing system. This manual uses a straight forward, template-driven method of explaining complex ideas in an easy to understand system. It also has 24 weeks worth of workouts!
7. Kettlebell Training for BJJ - Kettlebell Training for BJJ is an online coaching course where I take you step-by-step through over 68 of the most potent and effective kettlebell exercises specifically designed for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In addition, you’ll have access to 6 weeks of kettlebell workouts and circuits specifically designed with your BJJ performance and fitness in mind.
LIVE Workshops, Certifications and Events
8. Training for Warriors - Martin Rooney is one of the best coaches in MMA and is taking fitness world by storm. If you are interested in learning some of Martin's secrets and learning about the workouts that made Frankie Edgar and Ricardo Almeda, Jim Miller some of the toughest dudes in history, then you've gotta make time to get around one of Martin's workshops. He is constantly traveling, so odds are, he will be in your neighborhood soon.
9. DVRT - While the majority of the fitness world is still talking about bodybuilding splits and barbell lifts, Josh Henkin is paving new ground. His DVRT system would be a valuable addition to any gym. His workouts are well thought out, challenging and easy to implement with anyone. This system will also help your athletes and clients gain the edge over the competition. Josh's system challenges every aspect of performance, including balance, stability, strength, power, coordination and more. Here's Josh's workshop schedule:
10. Total Bodyweight Strength - Max is one of the strongest dudes I know. He is a master instructor for the RKC, competes in Highland Games, trains in jiujitsu and educates people around the world with his blogs, articles, videos and workshops. He is hosting a body weight workshop at his gym in San Diego in the spring. If you live in Southern California, I would invest and get to this event. Body weight training is a valuable tool for all of us.
11. Perform Better Summit - Perform Better is a supplier of quality fitness products, equipment, etc. A few years back, they started organizing educational summits and brought in some of the best strength coaches, researchers, therapists and more to educate trainers around the country. There are usually 20+ presenters lecturing and doing hands on workshops on hot topics that range from mobility, performance, strength, and more. This is a huge value and you'll leave with a new outlook on exercise, fitness and health.
If you want to stay ahead of the competition this year, you must improve, evolve and help your team get the edge. Simply doing the things you used to do in High School isn't gonna cut it. Getting strong and staying healthy is essential if you want to compete, so dig in, read up, get outside your comfort zone and lets take the world by storm this year!
Share it with your coaches, teammates and other people that might be interested.
As we come across more great stuff, we will be sure to pass it along.
